The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is determined to wrest control of Abia State from the Labour Party in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at an Independence anniversary gathering of APC members and supporters at Abia Hotels, Umuahia, on Sunday, Kalu assured that the party’s growing popularity in the state would translate into victory at the polls.
“We are going to take over Abia in 2027; we want to work with the President to move our state forward,” he said, stressing that the support on display was organic and not mobilized with money.
The Deputy Speaker also hinted at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s plans to establish a seaport in the South East to boost trade, noting that the zone’s heavy involvement in commerce underscores the importance of such infrastructure.
Kalu criticized the Alex Otti-led administration, claiming that the current government had not matched the scale of federal allocations it receives with visible results. According to him, while former governors managed with about ₦4–₦5 billion monthly, the present administration gets between ₦38–₦40 billion.
“The miracle maker is not the governors but the President who releases money to states now. The real miracle worker is the man who stopped fuel subsidy and ensured the funds go directly to the states,” Kalu stated.
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He dismissed claims that APC would rely on “federal might” to capture the state, insisting that the party would win through popular votes. He encouraged residents to participate in the ongoing continuous voter registration and urged students to embrace the new Students’ Loan Scheme, while advising traders and artisans to form cooperatives to benefit from federal government support.
The event, which drew prominent APC chieftains including former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Stanley Ohajuruka; Chief Sam Onuigbo of the North East Development Commission; and Chief Charles Ogbonnaya, took on the air of a political rally as support groups openly drummed backing for Kalu and President Tinubu.
Although some supporters urged him to contest the Abia governorship in 2027, Kalu avoided making any direct declaration, maintaining that his focus remained on strengthening the APC and championing the interests of the South East within national politics.